Dodgers at White Sox
Even for a franchise with a history as rich as the Los Angeles Dodgers', no edition of the club over the last century-plus has played better for a longer period of time than this season's squad. The Dodgers eye a season-best 11-game winning streak and their 31st victory in 35 games Wednesday, when they attempt to complete a two-game sweep of the host Chicago White Sox.
Los Angeles (65-29) moved 36 games over .500 for the first time since the club finished the 1974 season at 102-60 with Tuesday's series-opening 1-0 triumph, making a first-inning RBI single by rookie sensation Cody Bellinger stand up to match its longest winning streak of the season. The Dodgers' 30-4 mark is the best 34-game stretch in club history since 1899 and the best such run in the majors since the 1977 Kansas City Royals won 35 of 39. While Los Angeles maintained its 10 1/2-game lead over Arizona in the National League West, Chicago (38-53) has dropped five in a row to fall 10 games back in the American League Central. The White Sox firmly established themselves as a seller as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches following Tuesday's defeat, sending third baseman Todd Frazier as well as relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the New York Yankees for reliever Tyler Clippard and three minor-leaguers, including consensus top-50 prospect Blake Rutherford.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (7-4, 4.38 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (1-2, 4.32)
Maeda won for the third time in four decisions on July 7 against Kansas City, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while fanning five in as many frames. The 29-year-old has permitted fewer than two runs in five of his last six outings, but he has worked past the fifth inning only once over that span and three times in 14 turns this season. Maeda has struggled much more on the road (2-3, 6.25 ERA) than he has at home (5-1, 3.11) as he enters his first career start against the White Sox.
Rodon suffered through the worst of his three outings since coming off the disabled list in late June, surrendering six runs on five hits and three walks across 5 1/3 innings in a loss at Colorado on July 9. The North Carolina State product has lacked command since making his return, issuing 12 walks in 16 2/3 innings, but was coming off an outing at Oakland on July 3 in which he struck out 10 in 6 1/3 frames. Rodon, who never has faced the Dodgers, worked five scoreless innings against the Yankees on June 28 in his only start at home this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles' 65-29 record is the club's best mark through 94 games since the 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers went 66-28.
2. Chicago is expected to promote 2B prospect Yoan Moncada in time for him to replace Frazier on the roster Wednesday.
3. The only other time in franchise history the Dodgers have put together two winning streaks of at least 10 games was in 1955.